Playboy Germany Admits It Misquoted Ennio Morricone in Interview

“We must unfortunately assume that the words spoken in the interview have, in part, been reproduced incorrectly,” the magazine said Tuesday, after first defending the controversial interview.

Playboy in Germany has admitted Oscar-winning film composer Ennio Morricone was misquoted in an controversial interview the magazine published in its latest issue.

The interview quoted Morricone as trashing director Quentin Tarantino, with whom he worked on The Hateful Eight, calling Tarantino “a cretin” and his films “trash.”

Morricone has denied making the comments and threatened to sue the magazine.

Playboy initially defended the interview but on Tuesday, the magazine's Editor-in-Chief Florian Boitin acknowledged some of the quotes attributed to Morricone were false.

“Up to now, we have considered the freelancer who conducted the Ennio Morricone interview on our behalf to be a renowned print and radio journalist,” Boitin said in a statement. “In the past, we have had no reason to doubt his journalistic integrity and skills. Based on the information now at our disposal, we must unfortunately assume that the words spoken in the interview have, in part, been reproduced incorrectly. We would like to express our regret should Mr. Morricone have been portrayed in a false light. We are working to clarify this matter and are exploring legal measures.“

The interview, by freelance music journalist Marcel Anders, was published in Playboy Germany's December issue and made available online. Playboy said it took place June 30 at Morricone's estate in Rome. Playboy has not specified what portions of the interview were misquoted and has not confirmed whether there is an audio recording of the interview.

Morricone won his second Oscar for his score to Tarantino's The Hateful Eight. The composer, whose best-known scores include those for Once Upon a Time in the West and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, celebrated his 90th birthday Saturday.